Undercarriage for rotary-tower crane



Oct. 1l, 1960 H,| |BHERR ETAL 2,955,546

UNDERCARRIAGE FOR ROTARY-TOWER CRANE Filed Nov. s. 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a Z4 l f 'l 2g C M n L 2 l fh FIG .4 f Z Q b G 24 f Hans Lie herr i f4 .my Elmar Reich IMK J7 INVENToRs ibm-@5:1222 lj BY I AGENT Oct.n 11, 1960 H. LIEBHERR ETAL 2,955,546

UNDERCARRIGE FOR ROTARY-TOWER CRANE Filed Nov. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hans Liebherr Elmar Reich INVENTORS AGENT This invention .relates to znnireaifriaiges ffor :rotary- 'tewer femnes 'of either .lirgfht 'er The-any weight @instruction .fer use on #eenst'ruetien :sites utilizing linear ras eveil Jas enr-ved lengths 'of i'trzfekf ions. flrh'e .invention falso ifelattes fte Eunier'e'mieges elieraeterizen by improved ifnanenverbility.

im Hennen, Meaning-er tenesse', ena infin-1er nig i f "It "is therefore an -object to provide `a'n `ndercarriage i drawings showing av-preferred*embodiment of the invention.

It fis to zbe 4expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention,

Patented oet. 1 1, 1960 gefer'enee Vfier' "thisuf'latte fpnrpose being Sii-an pin lily se neig; f1 isn-side erevsiieneieiew eier-ie einem neuter @eers-h neaereeenegefefime ieee" am; s s

^- Y #eipln view efithe @seran-gement :shawn .in

ings.. -s ane 4 eeefinusfiefve @er @je 1 iribediment fa wheel fbegiesssenibry weaving fa pe riiy fgfeeved, dblefniigefwheelitegeher with arge pheraily geweven starren/hee aeepfeifte {iiteiid siy ern-fthe nach;

fFig .'5 :eine 6 shew @another 'type wheel Ibegie eesseinbly 4 respectively.

A Eaeh of `the ftwo diemetrieally feppesife begies r7 fnd 18 fear-ries @a drive motor 12, 123. It will 'be understeod, fhowever, Afthat -the two "drive fmtors fm'ay also bemoted fon-'the' bogies T7 land 9, `respectively. v:Inthefcirsejef"this latter farrangement the supp'rtingmembers V"4 =a`ii `i 5 =re -thse 'which fare irigidly 'attached 'fo the iplat-for'm i1.

'With fthe ycrane undercariage constructed fin themenirier :iust described, vthe 'underc'arriage =is iadpted To trvl `over zcin'v'edfsect'io'ns of 'trac-k without l:my jamming c- =tion, since fthe suppo'tin'g :members 2 and l5 which ie Aipiv'oted :at I10 and '11 'are :adapted to .follow .th'em 'e- -ments rof the wheels is'upp'orting `the bo'ges 36 'd `9 when "the flatter are Eguided along curved .pathsby the Trails f lithe track. Where it iis ipreferred to 'attach .frrgi'ai'y frire supporting members `r`4 'and :5 r.to 'the fpltform, la sinlr :effect Ais `obtained by 'the pivoting act'on of fthe "support- :ing Ymembers F2 and 3 permitting them-to vfollow fthe movements of the wheels supported by the-bo'gies and 7.

'.In -order Tto achieve the lre'snilts of .ith'e finventcn, lthe FWheel bogies in'ust `=be 'adapted 'torstay fon th'e traek. Gn'e r-rneerns `ot"a`i':hie\'in"gthis isto' useflgroo'ved Wheels c'imfcf-terized by a :double flang'e -adpted to `fit 'overthe tk, `with the b-o'tfom 'of -the :groove 'conforming .-to fthe fsrface Vof the track. Thevheelsillnstrtedin iFig. 1 would be such a grooved wheel. v .Another type is depicted in Figs. A3and @showing Bogie fpivotally connected `to memberfZ'of theunderciriage. tThe bogie comprises a Ywelded structure of side and end walls 14 and 15 of plate steel between which are supported gnooved bogie wheel 16 and grooved slave wheel 17. Bogie wheel 16 is mounted on axle 18 which passes through side walls 14 and is further supported by means of plates 19 welded to the vside walls. Slave wheel 17 which lags the bogie wheel is similarly supported, the wheel being mountedon-a hollow journal A2 0 through which axle 21 passes, the axle likewise passing through and being supported by side walls 14 andplates 22 also f plate' steel. While the slave wheel need not be used, it is preferred for optimum stability and maneuverability. Another embodiment is shown in Figs. and 6. While the bogie assembly is broadly similar to that of Fig. '3; it differs in that a single grooved wheel 23 is employed further stabilized by laterally disposed idler wheels, 24

which are so spaced as to abut the side of the track (note Fig. 6) as the bogie wheel veers to the right or left as it rounds ,a curve. The idler wheels are supported via angle brackets 25 `and cross bar 26 by the side walls of the bogie. With such an arrangement, a double anged grooved wheel need not be employed,y since the idler wheels can work as well with a conventional single ange railway wheel. Thus, the idler wheels are illustrative of another type means for keeping the bogie wheels of the novel undercarriage on the track.

Fig. 8 which is a more detailed rendition of the undercarriage provided by the invention shows how supporting members 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a are each connected to the four corners of the platform. Bolt holes 27 are provided in termnial wing 28 ofsupporting members 2a -to 5a which holes are adapted to coincide with one of the slightly staggered bolt holes 27a in upper and lower securing plates 29 extending from each corner of the platform, the securing plates being stiiened by plates 30 which extend from along the sides of the platform, the stiffening plates being welded to the edges of the upper and lower securing plates 29 (Fig. 11).

vAs stated in one embodiment hereinabove, supporting members 3 (e.g. 3a) and4 (e.g. 4a) are rigidly secured to platform 1 (e.g. 1a). This is achieved (note Fig. l1) by passing bolt 31 through hole 27a of securing plate 29 down through hole 27 of wing 28 of member 3a. Thus, member 3a is locked in position. The slight offset of hole 27a from hole 27 shown on 4the other side of wing 28 enables the setting of arm 3a for another gage track. Thus, the rigid bolt connection shown in Fig. 11 is for one gage track. In Fig. l2 another rigid setting is obtained by taking out bolt 31 from the previous setting and supporting arm 3a pivotally moved counterclockwise until hole 27 coincides with hole 27a of the securing plate and the bolt passed therethrough to lock the arm in position. This would be done for a smaller gage track.

Another obvious 'locking means could comprise a. key and slot combination. Fig. 9 shows in partial cross section how supporting arm 2a is connected to platform 1a by means of pin 10a comprising a thick walled tubing with plug 32 at each end and with a ange 33 on one end and a fastening plate 34 on the other secured by bolt 35 into plug 32 of the pin. Fig. l0 shows a similar arrangement as to connection of arm 3a with platform 1a `via the' pin but also shows in dotted line locking bolt 31 behindthe pin (as viewed in the direction of 10-10 in Fig. 12) for rigidly locking arm 3a to the platform, a similar arrangement being used for locking diago-nally opposed arm 4a.

Fig. 13 shows in partial section the pivoting means of the wheel bogie as seen in the direction 13-13 indicated in Fig. 8. Wheel bogie 7a has associated with it a hollow thick walled pivot pin 37 and end of which is welded to an annular hub 40 within the bogie. The pin passes out of the bogie through a welded plate 41 -to which it is also welded.

A socket l156 is provided at the free end of member 3a for slidably receiving the pivot pin, the pivot being held thickness of about 10.5 mm. (about 0.42 inch).

in place by flange plate 38 bolted via bolt 39 to a welded plate 40 within the hollow pivot pin.

The supporting members are made of heavy gage steel plate of girder-like construction. As shown in Fig. 7, the supporting members may taper in size from a maximum `thickness at the pivoting end portion of the platform to a minimum thickness at the bogie connecting end portion. For example, in one embodiment, the thickness may taper from a maximum of about 420 mm. (about 16.5 inches.) to a minimum of about mm. (about inches), for a distance between pivot centers (i.e. from platform pivot to bogie pivot) of about 1290 mm. (about 50 inches). The steel plate thickness may range upwards to 6 mm. or higher (e.g. 0.25 inch). A hollow pivot pin employed in `connecting the aforementioned supporting member to the platform as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 would have a length of about 502 mm. (about 20 inches), a diameter of about 86 mm. (about 3.4 inches), and a wall The foregoing is given merely to illustrate the heavy duty characteristics of one embodiment of the undercarriage.

An important advantage afforded by the crane undercarriage of the present invention resides in the fact that its transverse dimension can be reduced to facilitate transit from one site to another by turning the pivoting supporting members round to extend in the direction of travel; by unlocking the normally rigidly secured supporting members it will be possible to align lthe latter also with the direction of travel. f

-It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations of the embodiments herein .disclosed can be elected without departing from the spirit -and scope of the invention which is defined appended claims. What is claimed is:

, l. In an undercarriage for a rotary tower crane having four wheels adapted to ride on a pair of tracks, the combination of a substantially rectangular platform having supporting members extending outwardly and angularly from the corners thereof, each of said supporting members having pivotally connected at substantially its outermost extremity a wheel bogie and a wheel having associated therewith means for maintaining said wheel on its track, a pair of said supporting members being rigidly connected to said platform, the remaining pair being pivotally connected thereto whereby said undercarriage is enabled to ride around curves without the wheels jamming Iagainst track rails.

2. The undercarriage as defined in claim 1 wherein a pair of diametrically opposed supporting members are rigidly connected to the platform, the remaining opposed supporting members being pivotally connected thereto.

3. The undercarriage as defined in claim 2 whereinV a drive motor is connected to each of ytwo diametrically opposed wheel bogies, the drive motor being adapted with means coupled to the bogie wheel in driving relationship therewith, the supporting members connected to said bogies being rigidly connected to said platform.

4. The undercarriage `as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the pair of supporting members extending outwardly and angularly from the same side of the platform is rigidly connected to the platform, and each of the remaining pair extending outwardly and angularly from the other opposite side is pivotally connected to said platform.

in -the References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 680,619 Richter et al Aug. 31, 1901 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,015,587 Germany Sept. 12, 1957 

